North Cove, Washington, more commonly known as Washaway Beach, was once experiencing the fastest erosion along the Pacific coast. For decades, homes in the surrounding rural community had fallen into the ocean due to increasingly powerful winter storms. That is, until a neighbor defied conventional engineering practices and dumped a pile of rocks onto the shoreline. This community is facing a hostile natural environment. But instead of fighting it, they’re figuring out ways to take cues from nature and work with it. For our fourth season of As She Rises, we’re listening to stories of rewilding. 

Erika Langley reads her work, Autumnal, about the storms that ravage Washaway Beach, and the feeling of watching people’s homes collapse into the ocean.

Thank you to Earthjustice for supporting this season of As She Rises. Learn more at earthjustice.org. 

For more: 

• Learn more about dynamic revetment in North Cove and find ways to get involved at washawaynomore.org
• Check out the David Cottrell Memorial Fund to make sure there is money for several loads of rocks a year.
• To read more of Erika Langley’s work and learn more about her time in Washaway Beach, visit erikalangley.com 

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